If you already have my free E-Book “Introductory Tips for Astrological Self Awareness” then remember to look at where this falls within your chart. This will help you with regards to the personal area of your life that is up for a little reassessment.

Mercury will be moving from 23 to 14 degrees of Taurus so look which house or houses this relates to and look for any planets between 14 and 23 degrees; especially of the fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius), as these will be the most affected.

Here’s an idea of the type of personal matters that could come to the fore under this retrograde:

Taurus rules the throat chakra so being aware of this energetic centre and the way that you express yourself (communicate your heart to others). Sing, Write, Paint, Speak – do more of whatever form of communication you love. If you feel a sore throat coming on, this could be a sign that you need to speak your truth. Issues related to the jaw, throat, neck, thyroid and chin may also relate to an imbalance in the throat chakra.

Does your current financial situation feel secure? Are you attending to financial matters in a timely fashion and looking after your assets? If you have overlooked something; such as a bill or a tax payment then it is likely to come up during this period.

Do you treasure and express gratitude for what you have/your possessions? Do you enjoy and nurture your physical body? Do you explore each of your senses with love? For example; hearing through music, touch through holding others, tasting delicious food, smelling the scent of flowers, speaking loving words/singing, seeing the beauty that surrounds you. Indulging your body with massages, nourishing self-care products.

Does the current state of your body enable you to live a healthy and vital life or could you review your current diet/exercise regime and greater nourish yourself?

Is there an area of life where you have become too rigid and that now requires a shake up/new life be blown into it?

Are you making time to enjoy your unique idea of beauty; be it nature, Art, jewellery…

Do you need to go over something so that you understand it more thoroughly; like a contract or a piece of coursework?

Is your house in need of some self-care (renovation); perhaps to enhance its beauty or perhaps a makeover in the garden?

Do you make regular time to connect in a sensual way with your partner?

Are you attending to the practical matters when it comes to following and manifesting your dreams?

Are you taking the time to nourish the inner God/Goddess; perhaps through meditation or Yoga?

Have you been mindful of friendships this year or do you need to be more reliable and make time for those you care about?

You know how it goes. Someone says or does something and another person feels that it’s aimed at them and takes it personally.

However, rather than talk it over, the offended person chooses to sit with it and to get themselves all in a stew.

After stewing for X amount of time, the offended person may even go on to share the event of the day with others; completely from their own viewpoint and by now they are often feeling quite cross.

Often, however, the person who said or did the thing wasn’t at all intending to offend anyone. They were just dealing with their own stuff and have no idea that they have now caused an issue with the other person.

Nor that there are now additional people, who are in on the story and who are likely feeling that this person is a big old meany.

When this type of scenario occurs it generates a heap of negative energy.

Those sensitive to energy can actually feel it and anyone with an ounce of intuition will be able to zone in on this negativity the next time that these two people get together.

Sometimes it really is better to just be direct and to clear the air as soon as possible, but that can be a little scary to do at times, because it often means that we have to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.

Life is all about perceptions and sometimes when we’re knee deep in our own dramas we really can get the wrong end of the stick.

We can also manifest our fears into reality by simply expecting to be treated or received in a certain way.

For example, let’s pretend that it’s Monday morning and you’re running late. You have an important meeting that you were meant to be in 15 minutes ago.

You’re in a bit of a panic, as your boss’s boss will be running the meeting and you’re hoping that she’s going to consider you for a promotion that you’ve been after. You’re panicking that she’ll think you’re not responsible for the job if you arrive late.

You’ve just spent the weekend fretting that your colleagues will act differently towards you if you do receive the promotion. You really hope that this wont be the case, as you’ve developed some great friendships and would love to keep them as well as to move into a more challenging role.

You rush into the office, grab your notebook and pen, place your bag down and rush off to the meeting room.

On your way to the meeting room you pass Susie from Accounts.

Susie’s had a rotten weekend and got up really early, as she hasn’t slept a wink all night. She’s been waiting for you to arrive, as she really needs a friend to talk to and she’s been enjoying your morning coffee’s together of late.

As you pass her she asks if you want to join her for coffee. You look at her a little fuzzy and wild-eyed “Sorry, Susie. Not today” you say a little brashly.

As you rush off down the corridor, Susie’s eyes fill with tears. She feels that she is all alone in the World and the deep sensitivity that she is feeling causes her to take the interaction personally.

She goes for coffee alone and as she waits for her order she starts to feel a little angry that you were so curt with her. She really didn’t deserve it. Especially not after the weekend she’s had! She’s had it with people thinking that she’s a push over. Just there for them all the time and when she needs them they’re nowhere in site!

Meanwhile, you’ve arrived at your meeting and found that you weren’t the only one who is late today. You start to relax a little and as the tension melts away you realise that you were perhaps a little rash with Susie.

You make a note to go and see her when the meeting ends.

After leaving the coffee shop, Susie bumps into Keith from HR. Keith notices that she isn’t her usual bubbly self and they get talking. Keith informs Susie that you are in line for a promotion and that you may be distancing yourself from some of the people in the office ready for when you move up the ranks.

Susie is horrified. She would have been very supportive of you in your new role and sees no reason why a promotion should interfere with your friendship. She is saddened that you would behave this way and, because she has been hurt by friendships in the past, a defence mechanism is triggered within her. She decides there and then that she will now just treat you as a colleague. Perhaps she was being silly to think that you both had such a great connection. It was obviously all one-sided.

After the meeting, you wander past Susie’s desk and say Hi and that you’re sorry you were in such a rush earlier. You explain that you were late and that you really missed your coffee today.

Susie smiles and says that it’s all good. She didn’t even notice your rush and she tells you that she had a lovely coffee with Keith from HR.

You tell her that you will make sure that you are on time in the morning, but sadly, Susie has other plans and cannot make coffee the following day.

You walk back to your desk and cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong. Has Susie heard about your imminent promotion? It wouldn’t surprise you knowing what a gossip Keith can be. You were going to tell her soon as well. Now you’re glad you didn’t. If that’s the way she wants to behave then you’d rather tell someone supportive who values your friendship and doesn’t see you as competition.

This is just a simple example of how the issue of crossed wires can occur. There are plenty of scenarios for how this can play out of course.

Now just imagine for a second what would happen if either of these women chose to be emotionally honest with the other. Both seem like decent people and both seem to have a connection with the other and to really value their friendship.

Perhaps through opening up and allowing themselves to be vulnerable it would move their friendship to a whole new level.

If they continue as they are, however, they stand to lose a valued friendship thus self-perpetuating their own personal fears.

In keeping with the crossed-wires theme, Mercury (planet of communication) will be turning retrograde later this week.

That means that for the next 3 weeks there is the potential for communication problems, delays and potential confusion.

Mercury will turn retrograde at 23 degrees and 36 seconds of Taurus so those of you with my free Ebook ‘Introductory Tips for Astrological Self Awareness’ may want to check where this falls within your natal chart to see the area of life most likely affected.

News of Prince’s passing is reaching us, as the private, intense, mysterious and sexually magnetic Scorpio Moon is building to full in the sky.

Mercury (planet of communication) is sitting on Taurus 22: “A White Dove Flying Straight And Fearlessly Over Troubled Waters” and The Sun sits on Taurus 3: “Natural Steps Up To A Lawn Blooming With Clover”.

Let’s hope that this beautiful gift to humanity finds solace in the ‘After World’.

With Saturn sitting on Sagittarius 16: “Sea Gulls Fly Around A Ship Looking For Food” we can only hope that those close to him respect his obvious desire for privacy in the weeks to follow and that the media allow his loved ones to grieve respectfully.

With Love and Respect to a music icon gone far too soon from this World. Let’s hope he’s going crazy right now where ever he is xo